Happy New Year and Message to Our Readers

First, we’d like to wish all our readers a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year. We hope that, in 2010, you’ll have time to enjoy your precision rifles, and spend more time at the range, hopefully with good friends who share your “addiction to accuracy”.

Photo of classic Anschutz 22 Hornet by Forum Member Klenchblaize

2009 was a big year for the site. AccurateShooter.com is now being accessed by more than 60,000 users every week. This fall we completed a major upgrade, moving our Shooters’ Forum to a new dedicated server that is faster and more reliable. Our Forum is approaching 10,000 members and the Forum Classifieds section, with a new seller/buyer feedback system, is more active than ever. Likewise our Daily Bulletin has become hugely popular, drawing readers from around the globe. 365 days a year we offer a unique combination of shooting tips, gear reviews, industry news, and highlighted bargains and special sales. On the editorial side we’ve continued to publish in-depth profiles of interesting firearms, along with technical articles, and feature stories on leading shooters such as World F-TR Champion Russell Simmonds.

In the months ahead we plan to release more Cartridge Guides, plus major comparison tests on Chronographs, High-Magnification Scopes, and Rangefinders. And we’ll continue to offer timely match reports and inside “scoops” on the latest precision shooting products.

But to do all that, we need your support. For some five years the site has relied largely on volunteer efforts by dedicated shooters. But as the site grows, adding new types of content and more sophisticated features, we need the assistance of knowledgeable programmers, database experts and web designers. Those guys don’t work for glory alone.

For the site to continue to expand its content, we need to bring in paid helpers. Right now, the site reaches over 60,000 shooters every WEEK. If the majority of those users could provide a small donation every year, we could deliver MORE stories, MORE tests, MORE Gun of the Week features, and provide more of the photos and videos everyone enjoys. (Yes commercial sponsors help greatly, but their contributions alone won’t do the job.)

In the past quarter a couple dozen guys have generously donated to the site. I want to again thank all those who have contributed. But that still leaves tens of thousands of users who access the site regularly without contributing.

Here’s my proposal. First, if you have used our FREE Classifieds to successfully sell your rifles or shooting gear, consider sending in a dollar or two from your sale proceeds. Second, for those who use the site regularly, consider donating One Dollar a Month. That’s less than the price of a cup of coffee and much less than many websites now charge for their “premium content areas”. Consider this — what do you pay for a movie ticket these days? Probably $8.00 or more for 90 minutes of escapism. For a buck a month you can help this site provide a YEAR’s worth of info, tests, and shooting news that you won’t find anywhere else.

Making a donation to the site is simple and easy. Just scoll down to the bottom of this page and click the DONATE Button to make a donation. If you have a credit card, you don’t need a Paypal account to contribute. Any sum is welcome — donations need not be large. If 20% of our readers gave even $5.00 a year we could hire a staffer to do research, create videos, and help with field tests.

If you don’t like Paypal, you can send a check. Make the check payable to our Asst. Editor Jason Baney, list your Forum Name (if any), and mail the check to:

Jason Baney
P.O. Box 308
Douglassville, PA 19518